Sweet Sacrifice
by ShadowDanseur
Summary: She had known, had known since the day she made her choice that she had forsaken forever a life in the Wood, among her people... Memories accosted her, rolling through her mind like thunder on an open plain.... BalthierFran
1. Tired

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the game. Please don't sue me.**_

_**Author's note: This just kinda came to me while I was playing the game, so we'll see where it goes. Comments are always welcome and appreciated. Don't worry, there are more chapters to come. Sorry if there is any OOC-ness. I tried to remain true to their personalities while throwing my own twist to it, so let me know what you think. Enjoy!**_

She would never admit it, but she was tired. Even her eyes hurt. Truth be told, it unsettled her a little - Viera in the Wood never experienced exhaustion. Their way of life was always so deliberate and relaxing, they never suffered from fatigue. She supposed it had something to do with the Wood as well; like any good mother she was always nurturing and lending them her slowly regenerative qualities. But she had given all of that up a long time ago, and for what? For exhaustion.

"Fran? Are you feeling alright?"

The light sound of Penelo's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she spared a glance at the young girl. Concern laced her young features and lent a look of age to her face that Fran did not like. She was much too young to be so ... _mature._ At least, for a Hume anyway.

"I'm fine," She answered automatically, "Just thinking."

She became aware then of the rest of their rag tag party, all situated in the cabin of the _Strahl_ as they were preparing to head back to Rabanastre. Supplies and provisions were needed before they started their long trek through the _Pharos._

"Our course is set," Balthier said then, "Everybody sit back and hold on to something."

With his excellent piloting skills he launched the airship and navigated them through the air. The day was beautiful, the sky unmarred by even a cloud. Her job thus being made simpler, Fran took a moment to focus her breathing and relax her too tense muscles. She had lost track of how long and how far their journey had taken them - it seemed only a distant dream now that they had once visited her lost home. And what a bittersweet visit it had been. Seeing Jote, rescuing Mjrn, and discovering that she really was deaf to the harmonious voice of her mother Wood. What a hard time she had had in coming to terms with that blow. She had known it would be so, had been expecting the silence, but it still filled her with a great sense of dismay when she had finally acknowledged it. If she had been younger, less wise and resigned perhaps, she would have held out the hope that one day she could hear the voice again - but she was not. She had known, had known since the day she made her choice that she had forsaken forever a life in the Wood, among her people.

"Fran, could you come with me please?" Balthier addressed her, "I'm going to need your help with something."

Without a word she rose from her chair and followed him out of the cabin, unaware of the worried looks she was getting from her friends.

Once they were a fair distance from the cabin doors, Balthier halted and turned to face her. Without missing a beat he took one of her agile hands in his and put the back of his other hand to her forehead. Almost of its own accord, her eyebrow arched as she observed his ministrations.

"Whatever are you doing?" She asked in that calm, even voice of hers

"Trying to discern what it is that ails you," He replied just as calmly

"Ails me? There is nothing that ails me," She informed him, and gently pulled her hand from his

She found the contact between them disconcerting, a fact that unsettled her. His nearness or touch had never before had a negative effect on her or emotional state, so why should it now?

But Balthier was a quick man, and he grabbed her long fingers before they had slipped completely out of his hands.

"I've worked with you long enough and spent enough time with you to know when something ails you, Fran," He told her firmly but gently

She merely looked at him for a few long moments, her ruby eyes scanning his face for any sign that his resolve on this matter might give. But there was none, and, allowing a rare moment to pass where her stoicness faltered, she let out a long and resigned sigh.

Balthier's eyes never left her. For the first time in their long partnership, Fran actually seemed ... worn. Even her long, exotic ears seemed to droop a little, and he felt the first vestiges of fear. Was she ill? He had never in his life seen a Viera tired, or ill, or standing anything other than tall and proud. But here was Fran, _his_ Fran, with her ears drooping just the slightest bit and her posture not quite as straight as usual.

"Viera do not get tired," She said very softly in her magical lilt

"Viera don't usually go traipsing across all of Ivalice fighting demons either, now do they?" He replied just as softly

She seemed to be leaning into him, as if she were unable or unwilling to bear her weight alone any longer. He took a step toward her and pulled her closer to him, supporting more of her weight as he did so. He was racking his brain but could think of nothing that might be making her ill.

Memories accosted her, rolling through her mind like thunder on an open plain. The fight she had had with Jote over her decision to leave the Wood, Mjrn's tears at losing her companionship, meeting Balthier on accident that fateful day in Balfonheim ... so many memories she could almost entertain the thought that her head might explode. A growing sense of disquiet was blossoming in her chest, the weight of it beginning to hinder her breathing. It felt as if the blood were leaving her legs, as if she were being drained. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was dismayed to find herself literally collapsing into Balthier's arms, her legs no longer steady enough to hold her upright.

"Fran," Balthier's voice penetrated her thoughts, "Fran what is it?"

She was crumbling into his arms and she had begun to tremble like a leaf in the wind.

Out of nowhere, the _Strahl_ lurched beneath his feet, nearly throwing him to the floor. The movement caught Fran totally off guard and sent her tumbling fully into his arms, and he was barely able to keep his feet under him.

"Balthier, you should get up here, quick!" Came Ashe's worried voice over the speaker

"Now what," He muttered to himself, "Fran, can you stand?"

There was no answer.

"Fran?"

He glanced down at the unconscious woman in his arms and swore loudly.


	2. Incoherent

**_Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own the game or the characters, so please don't sue._**

_**Author's note: Okay all, here's chapter two. Thank you for the reviews everyone, they keep me going. Anyway, still just kinda flying by the seat of my pants (which is always the best way to go :) ), so I'm just as interested to see where this goes as you are. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**_

When Balthier entered the cabin he was immediately attacked with questions from everyone, but it was the Lady Ashe's voice that carried above the others.

"Where's Fran?" She asked, glancing behind him to do the door

"There is something that ails her," He replied tersely," I know not what it is. She is unconscious and laying in her quarters. Now would you mind telling me why we are stopped?"

Vaan piped up then, a truely confused look on his face.

"Actually, we were hoping you could tell us that," He retorted

"What? You mean you don't know?"

"We were just sailing along, gentle as could be," Penelo joined in, "And then all the gauges started going haywire, and the next thing we know we're lurching a halt."

Balthier glanced out at the window and into the sky, but it had not changed. It was still blue as could be outside, nothing marring the broad horizon. There were no ships in the vicinity, no clouds or fiends. They were completely alone.

"Have you tried just starting her up and flying us out of here?" He asked Vaan

Vaan nodded his head.

"She didn't even budge," He told him, "There was no response from anything, not even the gauges. Did she break down?"

"I guess it's possible, but I did just have her tuned," Balthier said, but he seemed unconvinced, "Right, Vaan, Lady Ashe, we're going to the engine room to see if we can't figure something out. Penelo, I need you to go sit with Fran. I don't know if there's much you can do, but if she wakes up I want someone there. Understood?"

Penelo nodded, and the group scattered.

Fran's room wasn't far from the cabin, and she found it with ease. She made sure to step lightly as she entered, although if the Viera was really in as bad a shape as Balthier said the odds of her waking up were slim to none.

Penelo couldn't help but look around the room in curiousity. The thought had never really occurred to her, that Fran might have a room. It seemed to Penelo that the woman never slept, or got tired for that matter. Glancing around, she almost smiled at the simplicity and cleanliness of the room she stood in. Fran's bow stood in a corner of the room, against the wall with her arrows leaning against it. There was a small vanity like thing against the far wall, carved enitrely and beautifully out of wood. Atop it sat only two things - a small silver hairbrush, and Fran's helmet, which Balthier must have removed before laying her down.

She turned and sat on the edge of the bed, listening carefully for the other woman's soft breathing. The Viera never did anything loudly, it seemed. She glanced at Fran's face, and she found herself actually staring. With her helmet off, her long silver hair had been let loose and now cascaded all around her like a perfect cloud. To her, Fran had always been a force to reckon with, a fearless warrior who said little and observed much. But seeing her laying here, it suddenly became very clear to Penelo that she was also just a woman, and a very beautiful woman at that.

Sighing quietly, she put a hand to her friend's forehead and was surprised to feel that it was indeed feverish. She showed no outward signs of it, was not sweating or writhing around as though she were in pain, but she was undoubtedly feverish.

She opened one brilliant ruby eye then, nearly sending Penelo hand over foot in surprise. She seemed disoriented by her surroundings, but able to recognize Penelo, which was something of a small relief.

"Balthier," She whispered, reaching her long hand out to rest on Penelo's cheek

'He's not here, Fran," Penelo tried to explain, "The _Strahl_ stopped working, he's with Vaan and Ashe trying to fix it."

Fran's hand fell back to the bed and a small sound like that of a whimper left her slightly parted lips.

"Fran, stay with me," Penelo instructed gently, "What's wrong, how can we help you?"

"Balthier," She repeated brokenly, "The mist ... the mist, it's angry ..."

"But Fran, we're nowhere near the mist," She tried to rationalize, " We're in the middle of the sky, there's nothing around us."

"Jote..." she murmured, and then she was quiet again

"Balthier," Penelo nearly screamed into the intercom, "Get up here! It's Fran!"

She only had to wait a few seconds before the handsome sky pirate was nearly knocking down the door trying to get in. He joined her immediately at Fran's side and took the other woman's hand in his own.

"What happened?" He asked

"She was awake for a minute. She asked for you, and then said the mist was angry. I tried to explain that we weren't anywhere near the mist, but she didn't seem to understand. Then she said 'Jote', and I lost her."

He put a hand to her forehead again, feeling the unusual warmth of her cocoa skin. The only time he could remember her skin being so heated was when she was indeed surrounded by the mist, but they truely were nowhere near it.

Fran's eyes opened again and immediately found Balthier's face, to which they locked on.

"She told me not to leave," She whispered to him, "Jote ..."

"Fran, sweetie, you're not making any sense," Balthier told her gently, "Tell me what's ailing you."

She put one of her gentle hands against his cheek and blinked rapidly, as if trying to focus her thoughts.

"Balthier," She breathed

"It's me, I'm here, Fran," He reassured her, "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I left," She stated, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world, "I have angered the Mother, I have left ..."

Her eyes went wide then and she suddenly arched her back, an animalistic sound of pain leaving her throat. It was as if she were straining against unseen ropes, and she was growing more frantic every moment.

"Penelo, call for Vaan and the Lady. Help me restrain her!"

Penelo rammed her fist into the intercom button a little harder than she'd intended, but ignored the throbbing in her hand and called Vaan and Ashe to them. Wasting no time she went around to Fran's other side and looked to Balthier for instruction.

"Grab her arm," He told her as he did the same, "Try to keep her laying down. She's stronger than she looks, so be careful."

Penelo nodded and did as he asked, grabbing Fran's lithe arm and using all of her weight to try and keep her down. There wasn't an ounce of fat on the Viera's body - it was all finely tuned muscle, and it was becoming more and more apparent the more frantic she became.

Penelo could not pinpoint the exact moment that their friends joined them, so intent was she on trying to restrain Fran. She knew only that they were suddenly there when she looked up, their efforts also focused on the frantic Viera.

"Balthier, what's wrong with her?!" Ashe yelled

"I wish I knew!" Was his only answer

She was becoming more and more crazed every moment, arching her back and trying to throw her friends off.

All of a sudden her body went rigid, and she let out the most anguished cry Penelo had ever heard.

"Balthier!"


End file.
